Washing and bathing were hard to accomplish back in the day when water had to be hauled in from outdoors. Some lucky people could draw water from a well in the courtyard, like Jane Austen and her family at Chawton Cottage, others had to walk to a stream or river or to a common pump in the town square. This meant that laundry days were few and far between, for it meant two days of hard work. Personal bathing was not a daily occurrence. Individuals might wash their faces and hands daily, but frequent baths were out. Indoor plumbing was also a convenience for the future.
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Jane and Cassandra's bedroom at Chawton Cottage. The chamber
pot is in the closet at left. Image @Tony Grant |
Thinking about your own personal hygiene habits, which would be the hardest daily habit for you to forego? Bathing? Clean laundry? Or indoor toilets?
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| Boiling laundry. Seraphine, 2008 |
2 comments:
After just spending 3 weeks on a so-called vacation but mostly in the car, nursing home, hospital, other people houses and campers I can honestly say clean laundry. I could handle the chamber pot I believe. After all it's not like wearing an adult diaper or running for an outhouse (which I grew up running for as a youth at a cabin in the mountains). I can deal with having to take sponge baths, which is mostly what happened to me this past month. Just water, some soap and a bathroom sink with a cloth. Tho' the few baths or showers I got were sooooo welcome. My biggest complaint was after washing my lightest clothing in the sink nightly to hang dry that after a couple weeks and only one time to wash clothes in hot weather my clothes were nasty. I was not amused having to wear dirty clothes home for the very long 24 hour drive back.....of course I could be biased at this point in time and have to review my choice.
The cover for "Seducing Mr. Darcy" looks like smut. Just my personal opinion. Tho' I do like some romance, chic-lit, or historical romance like Georgette Heyer. These covers leave alot to be desired. The adaptation of Austenland could be interesting. Shannon's books are well done. And I'm looking forward to the new one. JJ Field should be great in whatever role cast. Seems like there's not quite as much being produced in the usual genre as the past year or two.
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